


Sentimental

by generalsleepy



Category: The Rat Patrol
Genre: Concussions, Declarations Of Love, Episode Related, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Romantic Fluff, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 14:12:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18367640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalsleepy/pseuds/generalsleepy
Summary: Set after "The David and Goliath Raid." Hitch watches over Tully while he recovers. It turns out concussed Tully is more sentimental than usual.





	Sentimental

The medics checked Tully out for a few minutes before saying that the concussion was already improving, and he should be fine in a few hours. 

“You’re the boys who are usually coming in with arrows sticking out of you,” a nurse had said dryly as she was packing away her supplies. “Now just a rung bell? Don’t tell me you’re getting boring on us”

Hitch hadn’t brought up that they’d just taken down a group of Germans armed with only a slingshot made of a piece of rubber. “We’ll do our best.”

She’d sighed and rolled her eyes. “Please don’t.”

The nurse gave him with a few basic instructions before leaving him to watch Tully in their tent while he waited for the fog to clear. Troy and Moffitt stayed for a while, but Hitch told them he would stay with Tully while they went to get some rest. As attractive as sleep was, Hitch would rather stay with Tully. 

For the first few minutes after the sergeants left, Hitch just held Tully’s hand and took comfort in watching him rest peacefully and comfortably.

Out of nowhere, Tully’s eyes landed on Hitch, and he said softly, “Please stay.”

“Hey, take it easy, I’m not leaving.” He squeezed Tully’s hand. “You couldn’t drag me out of his room if you tried.”

“I’m scared.”

Hitch’s stomach twisted. He’d never seen Tully this open. This vulnerable. He was worried, but there was also a part of him that wondered what Tully might say in this state.

“Hey, hey.” He scooted his chair closer until his knees bumped into the bed. “You heard what the docs said: you’re out of the woods. You’re gonna be fine. And, I don’t think any Kraut tanks are going to bust in here.”

Tully shook his head. “Something’s wrong. Feels weird.”

“Yeah, the docs said it’d be like that. Your head’s messed up now, but it’s gonna fix itself.”

“Can you stay?”

“I’m not leaving.” Hitch was willing to repeat it a hundred times if he had to. “I’m gonna stay here until your head’s not messed up, which is gonna happen soon.”

Tully sighed and shifted around in the bed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Nowhere I’d rather be, pal.”

“You’re my friend, Mark.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“I don’t have a lot of friends. You and Sarge and the Prof are my only friends. But, you’re my best friend.”

“I’m sure you have a ton of friends.”

He shook his head again. “No. People don’t want to be friends with me. I’m weird. My brain is strange. Everyone says.”

“Everyone you’ve ever met is an idiot.”

Tully adjusted his grip on Hitch’s hand so he could stroke his palm with his thumb. He stared at their hands. His gaze wasn’t as distant and unfocused anymore. Instead, there was something oddly soft but intent in it. “I think you’re my favorite.”

“Favorite what?”

“Favorite…” He paused, then shrugged. “Everything.”

“Yeah, you’re my favorite everything too, Tully.” Hitch took a deep breath, then looked around surreptitiously. It was always a risk, but right then, he was willing to chance it. He leaned down and kissed Tully, just a soft press of dry, chapped lips. “You had me scared back there.”

“Now you know how I feel.”

“Huh?”

“Bullet magnet,” Tully mumbled.

Hitch grinned. That didn’t sound like delirium talking. “I’d offer to start wearing a helmet, but apparently that doesn’t do the job either.”

“Be more careful.” Tully closed his eyes just long enough for Hitch to start worrying. When he opened them, his pupils were still wide, but his gaze seemed steadier. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

He reached up lazily and hooked his thumb in Hitch’s rolled-up shirt cuff. He let his arm dangle. “I don’t remember.”

Hitch did his best to tamp down a the flash of alarm. “Don’t remember what?”

“Don’t remember if I’ve told you I love you.”

At this point, Hitch was fairly fluent in Tully-ese. He was used to the non sequiturs, jumps in logic, and the way he stated everything in the same flat tone, no matter how serious or bizarre the thought. Apparently, he was still capable of being surprised. 

No, Tully had never precisely said he loved Hitch. But, again, Tully didn’t communicate exactly the way that most people did, so Hitch had never felt like he was missing anything by not hearing those three exact words out loud.

He could read them in the smile when Hitch told him that he loved him; or when a pretty blonde WAC asked him to dinner, and he had said that he had important stuff to do — when all that he really had to do was hang out at the base with Hitch and read comic books.

Hitch brushed hair off of his forehead. “I don’t think you have.”

“Well, I do. Do love you.”

He cupped a hand to Tully’s cheek. “I love you too, Tully.” 

“Hey,” he repeated.

“Yeah?”

Remind me to tell you that again when my brain’s not messed up.”

“I promise. Once your brain’s back to as normal as it’s ever gonna be.”

“‘Cause I mean it. I promise. I really do.”

“I know.” Hitch didn’t look around this time before kissing him again.

_ To hell with it. _

When he pulled away, Tully yawned and shut his eyes. “Sleepy.”

“Docs say it should be another half hour before you can go to sleep.” He threaded his fingers through Tully’s thick mop of hair, gently teasing out the knots.

Tully grumbled wordlessly. “Read to me?”

“I got a new Flash Gordon comic in the mail. Want me to read that.”

“Yeah.” He shifted around. “You’re gonna have to keep kissing me if you want me to stay awake.”

“I think I can do that. If anyone walks in, I can tell ‘em that I’m taking your temperature.”

“What’s my temperature now? Think I’m a little hot.”

Concussed Tully flirted about as competently as normal Tully. It was still adorable as hell. Hitch smiled. “Lemme check.”

Tully’s “Love you,” was barely audible, but Hitch could feel the brush of air on his lips before they met. 


End file.
